The Surprising Issues That Fueled Donald Trump’s Electoral Victory

It’s been almost a week since president-elect Donald Trump stunned the world by winning the 2016 election — and the facts and narratives surrounding his victory continue to spark debate. Among the points of discussion is a new poll claiming to prove that social issues played a key role in motivating Trump’s supporters.

That recent study, conducted by Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research and commissioned by the conservative Christian Family Research Council, found that abortion and gay marriage continue to be “drivers in successful Republican coalitions,” with values voters showing up at the polls to support the Republican businessman.

In fact, positions on social issues might also have helped bring some blacks and Hispanics into the fold as well, the polling firm reported.

According to WPA Opinion, a majority of Americans — 53 percent — agree that marriage is defined as a union between one woman and one man, with 37 percent disagreeing with that sentiment. But among Trump supporters, a larger proportion — 72 percent — embraced this sentiment.

Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research

Respondents were specifically asked if the Republican Party platform’s staunch pro-life position and overt protections for religious liberty played a role in their vote.

Interestingly, Trump supporters (59 percent) were much more likely to say the platform’s view on social issues had an impact on their vote than were supporters of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton (48 percent). It should be noted that 41 percent of Trump supporters said it “strongly” impacted their vote, compared to just 25 percent of Clinton supporters.

Overall, 51 percent of voters said the Republican Platform’s view on social issues impacted their vote.

Race, too, played a factor, with the polling firm explaining, “Trump’s support was not solely concentrated among white voters, with nearly one-in-three Hispanic voters voting for Trump, and a significant number of African American voters forming a critical piece of his coalition.”

The survey reported that 14 percent of African American voters and 32 percent of Hispanic voters opted for Trump, noting that 59 percent of African American voters believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. The assessment, according to the survey, was that views on social issues impacted ethnic groups to some degree across the board.

“It is clear that, despite some elements of the media and other interest groups trying to declare victory in the ‘culture war,’ social issues remain an area of deep division,” read the study’s conclusion. “Furthermore, conservative positions on social issues mattered strongly to critical elements of the Trump coalition, stretching across racial lines.”

The text continued, “These issues, far from settled, will continue to resonate, as extreme positions from the left clearly turn away significant elements of critical voter coalitions.”

As Faithwire previously reported, despite seemingly being intensely divided over Trump, evangelicals came out en force on behalf of the Republican candidate.

In fact, according to exit polls, white evangelicals voted for Trump by a 81-16 margin — the largest showing by that cohort for a GOP candidate since they chose George W. Bush by a 78-21 margin in 2004, The Washington Post reported.